The Internet, which is a human centered connectivity network where humans generate and consume information, is now evolving to the internet of things (IoT) where distributed entities, such as things, exchange and process information without human intervention. The internet of everything (IoE), which is a combination of the IoT technology and the big data processing technology through connection with a cloud server, has emerged.
As technology elements, such as “sensing technology”, “wired/wireless communication and network infrastructure”, “service interface technology”, and “security technology” have been demanded for IoT implementation, a sensor network, a machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine type communication (MTC), and so forth have been recently researched.
Such an IoT environment may provide intelligent Internet technology services that create a new value to human life by collecting and analyzing data generated among connected things. IoT may be applied to a variety of fields including smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car or connected cars, smart grid, health care, smart appliances and advanced medical services through convergence and combination between existing information technology (IT) and various industrial applications.
Poor air quality may typically be considered a public health problem as long-term exposure, for example by humans, animals and/or plants, to polluted air may be detrimental. For example, poor air quality may have negative health effects on humans: lung ageing may be accelerated, lung capacity may decrease and/or functionality impaired; asthma, bronchitis, emphysema or cancer may develop; and/or life span may be reduced. Road transport, for example vehicles such as passenger vehicles such as motorbikes, cars, or buses or goods vehicles such as lorries, may be significant sources of pollution such as air pollution, greenhouse effect gases and/or noise pollution. Despite enhancements in vehicle efficiencies, the automotive sector may still be responsible for a very significant portion of pollution caused to the environment. As an example, in Europe, road transport or vehicles account for almost one fifth of Europe's green house gas emissions, and many European cities suffer a concentration of air pollutants that exceed European Union standards.
For example, air pollutants from vehicles, such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide or nitrogen oxides, along with traffic noise, are considered challenging aspects of urban transport systems. Congested city traffic scenarios such as traffic jams may be especially critical, and may affect public health in at least two different ways. For example, vulnerable road users (VRUs) such as pedestrians, cyclists, and motorbike users in city traffic may be exposed to relatively higher risks of pollution due to their physical location close (i.e. proximity) to vehicle exhausts and lack of air filtering systems, such as cabin air filtering systems that may be included in vehicles. For example, vehicle drivers and/or passengers may be exposed, intermittently or continuously, to relatively higher pollution levels without information about these pollution levels and hence may be exposed to corresponding health risks. Vehicle cabin air filtering systems and/or cabin air recirculation systems may reduce pollution exposure, but may not be available or operational in all vehicles.
Furthermore, current pollution regulatory measures may not be complied with, for example by the transport sector such as vehicle manufacturers, and/or may only apply to currently manufactured vehicles. Provision of effective solutions to pollution problems may be limited by a complexity of measuring vehicle emissions and/or current exhaust emission testing approaches may not be effective. While standardised measurements in laboratories may be typically used to measure that vehicles meet, for example, regulated limits for exhaust emissions, official measurement procedures may not be representative of actual vehicle use, for example, real driving conditions.
Hence, there is a need to improve monitoring of the environment, particularly with respect to pollution due to vehicles. The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure.